“Reason for Overtaking”: Launching a Social Project to Promote Road Traffic Safety

11 October 2017

Today, on October 11, the press center of the TASS Information Agency hosted a press conference dedicate to launching the all-Russian social campaign to promote road traffic safety: “Reason for Overtaking”.

The press-conference was attended by representatives of the Russian Association of Motor Insurers (RUIA), the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation, the State Motor Vehicle Inspectorate of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the “Risk-Free Road Traffic” Expert Center.

The press conference participants stated that road traffic safety is one of the social and economic tasks given priority and has increased attention of the Government. Opening the press conference, Igor Yurgens, the RAMI’s President, told about the results of the first stage of the Russian President’s instructions implementation, and noted that since introducing the compulsory civil liability motor-vehicle insurance system (OSAGO) in our country, the Russian Association of Motor Insurers, together with experts in road traffic safety, have already organized tens of social campaigns.

“This issue brings together the public and private interests, – the RAMI’s President said, – The insurer’s “self-interest” is to minimize the overall accident rate. But, surely, we consider campaigns for children as the most important ones. For us, together with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the “Risk-Free Road Traffic” Expert Center, it means establishing full-fledged Centers to prepare children for adult life on the road in 30 regions”, Yurgens concluded, meaning the vehicle playgrounds, i.e. “Safety Laboratory,” created in line with the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation issued during a meeting of the State Council for road traffic safety in March 2016. These Laboratories are already available in 10 of 30 planned regions.

Larisa Falkovskaya, the Deputy Director of the Department of State Policy in the Field of Children’s Right Protection of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, also stated the importance of vehicle playgrounds for working with children in regions and reminded that mobile road traffic safety Centers ensure both the technical part and the methodological basis.

“As part of this project, our colleagues have developed a large set of methodical documents, which includes even a script for conducting classes by ages to cover absolutely all categories. In the Department we are studying the possibility to publish all these documents upon the project completion, so that every educational institution could use them in their activity.”

The conference participants could also study the recent statistics of road accidents which occurred due to overtaking. This data was presented by Major-General of Police Vladimir Kuzin, the Deputy Head of the Main Regional Road Traffic Safety Inspectorate of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs: “For 9 months of the current year, we have registered over 1,500 RTAs related to violation of overtaking rules. As a result of these maneuvers, 2,598 people were injured. These are very big numbers. At the same time, it should be noted that, unfortunately, more than 2/3 of this number of RTAs occurred due to driving on the oncoming lane in places where it is totally forbidden. And in such a situation, unfortunately, the consequences are extremely severe.”

Vladimir Kuzin also stated that in the above period the number of road accidents involving passenger vehicles (buses) has increased. “As a rule, such accidents, – Kuzin reminded, – have grave consequences for a large number of people.”

According to a sociological survey, conducted by the “Risk-Free Road Traffic” Expert Center, many road users not only do not know the rules of overtaking, but also confuse the definitions of “overtaking” and “outdistancing”.

Nataliya Agre, the President of the “Risk-Free Road Traffic” Expert Center, told about this at the conference, presenting the results of the survey conducted by the “Risk-Free Road Traffic” Expert Center in cooperation with the All-Russia Public Opinion Research Center at the RAMI’s request, emphasizing that respondents consider overtaking as the most difficult and dangerous maneuver: 48% of them are sure that they are able to make a safe overtaking, and 53% of Russians believe that overtaking provides them a significant gain in time.

Noting the importance and relevance of the project, Vladimir Lugovenko, the Deputy Director of the Department for State Policy in the Field of Motor and Urban Public Transport of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation, noted the uniqueness of the new campaign’s line aimed at working with professional drivers: “This is correct. Moreover, the Russian Ministry of Transport is now working under instructions of Igor Shuvalov on increasing the skills of professional drivers specifically. It is also important to constantly convey new information to this category of individuals, not when issuing them their driver’s licenses, that have been obtained by them 30 years ago.”

Before giving the floor to Dmitry Guberniev, the key figure of the “Reason for Overtaking” campaign, the guests and participants of the press conference could see the social video entitled “Commentator” with the Dmitry’s participation. The central Russian TV channels will air this video from October 13 to November 12.

“I am grateful to those people who are engaged in road traffic safety, not only for the opportunity to participate in this event, but also for the opportunity to look at our life in a different way, – Dmitry Guberniev said. – I realize that I now have a high level of social responsibility, and I will try come up to it.”

Concluding the press conference, its participants noted that the social campaign “Reason for Overtaking” is an important element in the development of not only driving skills, but also the culture of behavior on the motor roads.

For reference:

The all-Russian social project “Reason for Overtaking” is implemented by the Russian Association of Motor Insurers in line with the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation following the meeting of the State Council for road traffic safety.

As part of the “Reason for Overtaking” campaign, there have been developed a set of promotional and educational activities, covering almost all population groups: kindergarten children, schoolchildren, students, driving school pupils, novice and experienced drivers, elderly people, and people with disabilities.

In each of the 10 regions of the Russian Federation where the “Reason for Overtaking” social campaign will be carried out, the “Risk-Free Road Traffic” Expert Center will involve schools, kindergartens, higher and secondary vocational educational institutions, driving schools, transport companies, railway and bus stations, registration departments of the State Road Traffic Safety Inspectorate, gas stations, pension funds, outpatient hospitals, shopping and entertainment centers.

The social campaign is implemented in 10 constituent entities of the Russian Federation, in 6 federal districts.